metro annual report 2015

8/20/2019 Metro Annual Report 2015

1/11

Metro is transformingLA County.2015 Report to the Community


2/11

Metro iseverywhere.

> In April 2015, Metro opened an additional

five miles of bus-dedicated lanes along

Wilshire Blvd. Bicycles can also use

these lanes.

> We’ve also put into service 550 brand newbuses that are specially designed to

make travel easier for disabled passengers

who depend on public transit. And Metro’s

Board exercised another option to purchase

an additional 350 40-foot buses.

> Construction is underway on the pedestrian

bridge from the Universal City subway

station over busy Lankershim Blvd in

the San Fernando Valley. Likewise, a

passenger tunnel from the Red Line station

in North Hollywood to the Orange

Line under Lankershim also is in progress.

> New and diverse works by nationally

renowned artists have been installed at

El Monte Station, and currently are being

installed at stations on the Foothill Gold

Line and Expo Line Phase 2.

> Metro is an industry leader, not only through the

innovation we employ, but also through awards

we’ve been honored to receive in FY2015:

• Prism Award for 2014 Accounts Payable

• APTA’s Grand Award for Metro ExpressLanes Ad Campaign • American Council of Engineering Companies, Los

Angeles Chapter, “Champion of Small Business” Award

• Smart Growth America’s National Complete Streets

Coalition Recognized the Complete Streets Policy

• Engineering Achievement Award for the Regional

Connector Project

• 2015 National Planning Excellence Award for a Best

Practice - First/Last Mile Strategic Plan

• Silver Walter R. Graalman Award to National Contract

Management Association LA Gateway Chapter

• California Employer Advisory Council Veterans Employer

of the Year Award

• Municip al Green Building Conference and Expo Award

of Recognition for Division 10 LEED Efforts

• Soci ety of California Archivists 2015 Annual Archives

Appreciation Award

• California Transportation Foundation Honors I-405

and Eat, Shop, Play Crenshaw

• Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting for FY2014

Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR)

• Special Libraries Association Transportati on Division 2015

Innovation Award for Metro’s Digital Resources Librarian

• Investment Policy Certificate of Excellence Award FY2015

• Westside Urban Forum Westside Prize for Expo Phase 2

• SmartRail USA Innovation Award “Project of the Year” for

Metro Rail Intelligence-Based Surveillance System (IBSS) –

Proof of Concept on the Blue Line

• Municipal Information Systems Association of California

(MISAC) Quality IT Practices Award

If you live, work or play in LA County, you’re a Metrocustomer. That’s because we do so much more thanoperate bus and rail service. How do we serve 10million people? Let us count the ways…


3/11

With our eyes on the horizon, we’re building

the best, most innovative, balanced and

customer-focused transportation system in

the world for one of the best regions in the

world. And we are excited.

At the same time, we know we are the

custodians of valuable taxpayer dollars and we

take that role very seriously. It’s an awesome

responsibility to be frugal, responsible,

practical and accountable. And as you read the

pages that follow, we hope you will see how

we’ve put that commitment into action.

LA County is the envy of dreamers around

the globe. Blue skies. Endless beaches. The

best and the brightest minds from around the

globe. World-class art, music, food. Top-tier

universities. And a transit network – including

an amazing freeway system – that we’re

working to improve every day.

But what will our legacy be?

Will it be continued freeway traffic jams? Or will

it be more mobility choices, affordable housing

and jobs? It’s up to us.

With your help, we are well on our way tountangling the conditions that have created our

current traffic challenges. But we realize there

is still so much to do.

Thanks to your support of Measure R, we have

two rail lines opening next year, three more

under construction and massive highway

upgrades underway. During the past fiscal

year (FY2015) Metro provided LA County’s

88 cities and unincorporated areas with more

than $435 million for 2,500 local improvement

projects, including those for pedestrian safety,

street repairs and traffic enhancements.

In April 2015, we opened an additional five

miles of bus-dedicated lanes along Wilshire

Blvd. We funded work for the massive I-5 freeway

widening between the I-605 and the Orange

County line, and the I-5 north from SR-134

toward SR-118.

It’s the largest group of modern public works

projects in the country and as a regio n, we

should be proud of the courage it took to

move forward with more transportation

investment, even throughout the challenges and

uncertainties prompted by the Great Recession.

While we are building, we are taking our citizens

where they need to go. We had 450 million

boardings on our buses and trains in FY2015, at

the same time nearly 34 million trips occurred

on the I-110 and I-10 freeway ExpressLanes. We

managed more than $20 million in projects for

bikes and pedestrians. We provided about $ 200

million in discounts to low-income commuters,

students, seniors and the disabled communities.

We also provided significant financial support for

other key transit operators, including Metrolink

and municipal operators throughout LA County.

And so I invite you to take a look, in the pages

that follow, at what we are doing and how we aredoing it. We know you’ll agree that there is a lot

for LA County to be proud o f. And so much to

look forward to as we continue to transform the

region through transportation.

Phillip A. Washington

Chief Executive Officer

We’re building the best, most innovative,balanced and customer-focused transportationsystem in the world.


4/11

Metro isaccountable.

> In FY2015, we adopted a balanced $5.4

billion budget. It included a continued

commitment to the largest highway and

rail building program in the United

States, bus headway improvements,

increased rail operating hours and $294.9

million in maintenance expenditures to

keep your system running in top form.

> We secured more than $3 billion in

federal support – including approximately

$2 billion in federal New Starts money.

> Metro received the two largest TIGER

grants awarded in California: more than

$22 million combined for the Eastside

Access Improvement Program, and the

Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station that serves

the Blue Line, Green Line and numerous

bus lines. Together, these grants – which

were aggressively pursued by transit agencies

across the country – represent another

historic vote of confidence in Metro by the

federal government.

> Metro’s Board approved a new fare policy

that includes, for the first time, a two-hourperiod of free transfers on Metro’s bus and

rail system.

> We continued to work closely with the

White House and Congress to implement

our America Fast Forward Transportation

Bonds program, which enjoys the support

of more than 200 mayors nationwide and

more than 250 Chambers of Commerce

from all 50 states, including the U.S.

Chamber of Commerce.

We’re the custodians of billions in taxpayer dollarsand we take that role very seriously. It’s ourresponsibility to be frugal, responsible, practicaland accountable.

> In an effort to secure additional funding,

Measure R and Props A and C funds are

used as local matches for federal grants.

Leveraging local dollars provides even more

opportunities for mobility enhancements in

our region.

> To ensure that monies from Measure R

and Props A and C are used to accomplish the

work that voters approved, use of the funding

is closely monitored by the Independent

Taxpayers Oversight Committee, and the

Independent Citizens Advisory and Oversight

Committee, respectively, and audited each year.

Both committees meet at least twice each year.

> Further, local cities and the county are

audited annually to ensure compliance

with Local Return Guidelines.

> Metro’s credit ratings as of June 30, 2015,

AAA/Aa2 for Proposition A and Measure

R bonds, AA+/Aa3 for Proposition C

bonds, and A/A1 for General Revenue

Bonds reflect the history of local support

for public transit evidenced through the

voter approval of sales tax revenuesprovided by Proposition A, Proposition C,

and the approval of Measure R in 2008.

The ratings also recognize Metro’s record

of fiscal responsibility and success in

managing capital projects.

> To review Metro’s audited financial

statements, visit metro.net/budget.

$31 m

we refinanced

$192million in bonds

which resulted in savingMetro nearly

$31million in net present value

over the life of the bonds


5/11

Metro istransformative.

> We’re adding 235 new light rail cars to

our system, toward a future total of 337,

to ensure the safety and comfort of our

customers, and to serve new rail lines

opening in 2016.

> We’ve also put into service 550 brand new

buses that are specially designed to make

travel easier for disabled passengers who

depend on public transit. And Metro’s

Board exercised another option to purchase

an additional 350 40-foot buses.

> On the planning front, Caltrans and Metro

released the Draft Environmental Impact

Report/Statement for the SR-710 North

transportation corridor improvement

project. The Draft outlines the benefits,

impacts and recommended mitigation for

a number of alternatives leading to

improved mobility and access in east/

northeast Los Angeles and western

San Gabriel Valley.

> For the I-710 South, two revised alternatives

were released in June 2015, addressing the

span from the Ports of Los Angeles to t heSR-60 Pomona freeway, to improve air quality

and congestion and assess alternative green

goods movement technologies.

> We also released the High Desert Corridor

Draft Environmental Impact Report to

the public for comment. It’s one of the

most comprehensive transportation

plans ever proposed for the north county:

a multimodal highway alternative from

Palmdale to Victorville, linking SR-14 in

LA County and SR-18 in San Bernardino

County. Possible options include green

energy production, bikeways and links to

high-speed rail.

> Metro started construction on three rail

projects, the Crenshaw/LAX, Purple Line

Extension and the Regional Connector,

which will expand Metro Rail reaching even

more destinations throughout LA County.

> Our Eat, Shop, Play construction impact

mitigation program launched this year

and seeks to increase business visibility

and stakeholder pledges to support

businesses along construction corridors.

A new Business Interruption Fund provides

financial support to small mom-and-pop

businesses directly impacted by

construction, and the Crenshaw/LAX

Business Solution Center offers business

and other technical assistance.

> In 2016, we’ll open new segments of the

Foothill Gold Line from Pasadena to Azusa

and the Expo Line from Culver City to

Santa Monica.

Today, Metro moves 1.4 million customers perweekday. And tomorrow? We’re building a morerobust, multimodal system that aims to transform theway we move in and around LA County.

in just

25years

we havecreated

87miles of new rail


6/11

At the same time we’re building, we continueto be careful stewards of the assets we have inservice. Our maintenance and improvementsspending grew 25 percent last year, from $328to $411 million.

> After 15 years of deferred maintenance,

we’re in the midst of a $1.2 billion overhaul

of the Blue Line. The renovation will span

several years and bolster reliability, comfortand safety for our customers.

> Green Line stations are being refurbished.

New paint to brighten the stations and signal

system repairs to create a smoother transition

for trains coming in and out of stations are

part of our plan.

> Metro buses are cleaner, according to our

customer surveys and feedback from our

Service Council members.

> In terms of reliability, our buses now travel

many more miles before needing mechanical

assistance: from a 3,000 mile span in 2008

to more than 4,500 miles in January 2015.

(And fewer buses out of service means

better service for our customers.)

> Metro Rail’s on-time performance is

above 99 percent for the Red and Purple

Line subways and above 98 percent forlight rail, which often operates at street

level and follows the constraints of

traffic rules.

> Our redesigned TAP vending machine

screens make it easier for our customers

to purchase and reload regular and

reduced fares.

+15%on-time performance

improvement for busesfrom 2007 - Present 65%

80% P r e s e n t

> The recently completed I-405 Sepulveda

Pass freeway improvement project is paying

off. A study comparing traffic flow on the

I-405 before and after the project’s numerousfreeway improvements found a drop in the

number of reported accidents; the afternoon

weekday rush hour window is two hours

less; northbound vehicle capacity is 15

percent greater and person capacity is 30

percent greater; and overall travel times

between the I-10 and US-101 have improved.

> Work on the massive I-5 widening project

between the I-605 and the Orange County

Line continues. This key Measure R

road project will significantly improve

traffic for automobiles, as well as the many

trucks traveling from the Ports of LA and

San Pedro.

Metro ismaintenance-minded.

2 0 0 7


7/11

The safety and security of our patrons and ouremployees are our number one priority. We’redetermined to foster a positive environment formobility in its many forms. Among our efforts andresults this year:

> To help patrons understand and practice

safety around transit, Metro’s Transit

Safety Team reached out to more than

315,400 transit users within LA County.

> Simultaneously, the award-winning Metro

Safety Ambassadors – a 12-year-old program

made up of retired Metro operators at

grade crossings along the Blue and Expo

Lines – encouraged safe behavior and

helped patrons along their jour ney.

> Protecting our bus operators and patrons

is a key effort. We began receiving new buses

equipped with driver’s compartments

protected by polycarbonate safety barriers,

and we’re continuing to install CCTV

security cameras on buses. When people

view themselves on video monitors,

they are less likely to commit crimes.

> Metro became one of the first transit

agencies in the country to attack

the problem of sexual harassment

with a comprehensive campaign involving

communications, security, planning,

the LASD and the community advocacy

organization Peace Over Violence.

> Metro also launched the “Don’t Be

Silent” public information and law

enforcement campaign to combat human

trafficking. The effort aims to teach transitpatrons how to identify and report

potential incidents.

> As we build, repair and improve our

fleet and our system, on-the-job safety

requires constant diligence. We’re proud to

report that the number of reported

industrial injuries was reduced by nine

percent, saving the agency an estimated

$5.3 million in future disability,

medical and legal expenses.

Metro is safer.

-4%$1.8million

in savings

The number of claims filed against Metro bythird parties for bodily injury and property

damage caused largely by bus and railaccidents decreased by four percent from

the previous year, resulting in an estimatedsavings of $1.8 million in future payments.


8/11

Sustainability is good for the planet and taxpayerdollars. Metro’s energy conservation, sustainablebuilding practices, investment in renewableenergy and recycling of all manner of materialsaves money, fossil fuels and precious resources.

> In FY2015, we completed an agency-

wide rollout of the most comprehensive

Environmental Management System

(EMS) in the transit industry, a set ofoperational procedures designed to

ensure compliance with federal, state and

local environmental regulations, as well

as to facilitate environmental stewardship

at all Metro facilities.

> Metro’s EMS has been rated by an

independent Columbia University study

as the best certified transit EMS in the

country. Initiatives and projects developed

and implemented through the EMS have

resulted in more than $2 million in

annual cost savings, and the EMS

has shifted the paradigm for how our

frontline staff participates in and initiates

environmental compliance efforts.

> More than 6,000 Metro employees

have been trained to proactively minimize

environmental liabilities. The Metro

Environmental Training Institute has beencited by the National Transit Institute as

a national model for environmental-

related training content and delivery.

> Under our Energy Management and

Renewable Energy program, we have

installed more than two megawatts of

solar panel installations at five facilities,

with two more systems under construction.

Metro is green.

> Our total fleet air pollutant emissions in 2014

were 55.6% lower as compared to 2011, and

70% lower as compared to 2008.

> Metro recently took delivery of five electric

buses in our commitment to build a

balanced transportation system.

> Our new Division 13 Bus Maintenance Facility

is a prime example of beautiful and sustainable

design. Division 13 is expected to earn a LEED-

Gold ranking from the Leadership in Energy

and Environmental Design program, adding to

our collection of eight LEED designated structures.

more than

million gallonsof water saved

28%reduction in

water usage100


9/11

Go Metro app, nowdownloaded more than

500,000 times

500,000

The world is changing fast, and LA Countyis, too. Southern California always has beenon the cutting edge; Metro aims to be just asinnovative as the region we serve. Among ourground-breaking efforts:

> We helped our patrons bridge the first and

last legs of their transit-based trips through

a partnership with Zipcar to provide shared

cars for hourly or daily use at 10 Metro park-and-ride locations.

> As one first/last mile solution, Metro’s

Board approved a Countywide Bikeshare

program, which plans to launch approximately

80 stations and 1,000 bikes by 2016 as part

of the downtown LA pilot.

> This year, we brought back speed dating

on the Red Line, participated in dinner

tours throughout LA County and hosted a

holiday scavenger hunt. We also strategically

partnered with museums and cultural

destinations such as Grand Park, FYF Fest,

Santa Monica Museum of Art, The Music

Center, Hollywood Pantages and Los Angeles

Philharmonic to promote public transportation.

> Twitter rider alerts keep our customers

apprised of real-time changes, improvements,

delays and rider tips for bus and rail service.

We also have service alerts for elevator

closures at rail stations, which are so

important to our wheelchair patrons.

> The Source and El Pasajero blogs offer

readers special offers, destination tips and

timely news about important transportation

initiatives throughout the country and

around the world.

> Metro proudly furthered the reach of

CicLAvia and other Open Street events,

providing $2 million of grant funding

annually for the wildly popular one-day,

car-free events around LA County.

These events have increased ridership on

Metro Rail lines and increased sales for local

businesses on the day of the event.

> Metro’s Joint Development Program is a

major player in the changing landscape

of LA County. Metro projects will provide

2,017 new homes, with 31 percent offered

as affordable housing.

> We launched a comprehensive Small

Business Prime program to aid these

companies in competing as prime

contractors on Metro projects. In tandem,

Metro launched Metro Connect, a program

offering practical advice and training to

small businesses to help them succeed in

the competition process.

> Following Metro’s successful work with

Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) to

reform federal Local Hire rules, the U.S.

Department of Transportation launched

a one-year pilot program to permit Local

Hiring for projects funded through the

Federal Highway Administration and Federal

Transit Administration.

> We launched the Disabled Veterans

Business Enterprise, a program to expand

contracting for businesses owned

by disabled veterans and help veterans

successfully bid on projects. We also

created a new VetsGo511 website to

provide resources for employment,

education, healthcare and transportation

options to LA-area veterans.

Metro isinnovative.


10/11

“I'm on gold line train 74

8A and the

conduc tor is the nices t

happies t person and he

al wa ys makes

me smile. Please tell him

th x”

“ Thanks f or Gold Line arri val b

oards a t

Red/Blue line e xi t. Union S ta

tion jus t

go t be t ter!”

“ The ne w websi te design f or the

TAP card is a wesome.”

“ Thanks f or the heads up! W

as

prepared and caugh t m y tra

in.”

“ Toda y’s bus commu te: per f e

c t! Ne w bus no t

o verl y cold, quie t passenger

s and arri ved a t

work earl y! Thanks f or the rid

e!”

Metro isbuzz-worthy.Sixty-four percent of Americansnow own a smartphone and 73%use social media. Metro has made

a major commitment to havingreal-time conversations withour riders. Metro’s social mediachannels generate over 1.5 millionimpressions per month.


11/11

p l e a s e r e c y c l e t h i s m a t e r i a l .

1 6 - 0 5 0 6 d w © 2 0 1 5 l a c m t a

MetroOne Gateway PlazaLos Angeles, CA 90012-2952

323.go.metro

[email protected]

metro.net/annualreport

@metrolosangeles

facebook.com/losangelesmetro

Mark Ridley-ThomasChair

Los Angeles County Supervisor

Second Supervisorial District

Michael D. Antonovich


Fifth Supervisorial District

Diane DuBoisCity Council Member

Lakewood

Paul Krekorian

City Council Member

Los Angeles

Hilda L. Solis


First Supervisorial District

John Fasana

First Vice Chair

City Council Member

Duarte

Mike Bonin

City Council Member

Los Angeles

Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker City of Los Angeles Appointee

Sheila Kuehl


Third Supervisorial District

Carrie Bowen

Caltrans District 7 Director

Non-Voting

Appointed by the

Governor of California

Eric Garcetti

Second Vice Chair

Mayor

Los Angeles

James T. ButtsMayor

Inglewood

Don KnabeLos Angeles County Supervisor

Fourth Supervisorial District

Ara NajarianMayorGlendale

Board of Directors

Contact Us

metro annual report 2015

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